The Assassin's Role
by missingthesilence
Summary: Zevran is only about seven when he is taken from the whorehouse he lives in to become a Crow agains't his will.  He goes for the training, knowing that it is either him or his comrades that die so others can live.  The tale before he meets the grey warden
1. the journey

**Little tidbits on my take for Zevran's past. I thought it could be a challenge writing about his past because there isn't really a lot to work with, but everyone knows the result. This is a very short one describing his travel to be a member of the Antivan Crows.**

**ps: this is when he is seven or so and knows nothing about what is happening or how to fight, blah blah blah, and this is more serious. The next chapter will be more about his protests before he submits to the training.**

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><p>"That one there will do," he heard the man say pointing to him. His face was pleasant to look at, but the coldness of his eyes warded off any attention that he was willing to give him. The black hair he had was tied up in a ponytail and he looked like a man that did nothing but train all his life, by the size of his muscles that rippled with every movement he made. His 'family', all lined up, stared at him when one of his many 'mothers' lead him to the man standing before him.<p>

"Zevran, follow him," she said curtly. That wasn't what he normally heard from her, with her talkative and flirtatious personality cut so sharp.

He really didn't want to follow him, but she wouldn't let go of him as she let the other man take him.

"Come. I have some work to do with these new recruits." he said, taking not only him but some of the other boys from the whorehouse as well. Taking the six of them, including Zevran, he forced them to follow him.

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><p>"Stop your insistent squirming, you bloody idiot!" the man yelled as he slapped Zevran across the face, hard enough to knock him off balance and it had him falling to the ground. The man only sneered at him as he slowly stood back up.<p>

His face wasn't the only thing that hurt. He wanted to be back at his home in the whorehouse. Even without having enough food to fill his stomach, it was still his home and he wanted to be close to it and remember what little traces of his true mother he could find out. He wanted to believe that she really didn't give him up without a fight, but he wasn't as sure when he remembered how her face was cold and distant. That look took most of the fight out of him.

He didn't care enough to try and learn the man's name, nor did he care about the journey to who knows where. What he felt for was leaving all he knew behind, knowing he wouldn't be able to come back.

One of the boy's stopped, complaining under his breath that he needed a break. His hair was a light brown and anyone could tell just by looking at him that we was nothing but skin and bones. He looked strong enough to keep walking, but because of how he was basically a walking skeleton he couldn't go that far without wanting a breather.

"Quit your shuffling and come here!" he yelled when the boy wanted to rest. Zevran could tell that he enjoyed the journey as much as the boys that he dragged with, like slaves, did. His cold and cruel eyes always kept Zevran on the edge, wondering if he would actually try to kill him or not.

"We have been walking for days to no end! Can't we have a small break just to catch our breath?" one of the other boys asked.

The man didn't even waver for a second. He walked over to the boy with a smile, and slit his throat without hesitation or remorse. The way he smiled even more after he murdered that boy was one of pure ecstasy. He looked at the remaining boys, daring them to say one word so that he could murder them all, that was one thing Zevran was sure of.

"We keep walking. Any other complaints and you end up like_ that_," he said pointing to the corpse of the boy. When silence answered him, he frowned, but he went back to leading them past the cities to one he called Anitva.

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><p>Zevran found himself inside a large building, with other boys staring at the newcomers as if they were new meat they would just love to devour after torturing it and burning it to perfection. Their stares somewhat reminded him of the stares that many of the men had when they saw the women that he lived with, that same look that described how much they wanted to devour them.<p>

"Welcome to the Crows." Another man said as he approached them. This man looked a little younger than the one who took him here, maybe around the early twenties. He had long, wavy brown hair that cascaded down to his shoulders and the top of it was braided towards the back of his head. His face was sharp, one that could be said from family tradition or from not eating as much as he should had and he seemed a little skinnier than the one that he traveled with. Though, from how he stared at the other man, Zevran could tell that he was the one in charge. His eyes were a silver that seemed soulless, and only showed a mockery of happiness at some points while his lips seemed to stay in the form of a smirk.

"Here are some new recruits that need to be broken in. There aren't that many this time. The whorehouses seem to have even less choices than before," the man sighed.

"Well, we can arrange for their trail, and at least there are more than two this time Alec." he said to the man.

"Let's not waste another moment then," Alec said as others came from the shadows and grabbed them.

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><p>Zevran found himself inside a dark room where the only thing he could see were the shadow figures of the other boys, the other four that were taken and survived. When he tried to move his hands, he realized that he was also tied up, and the ropes were digging into his wrists with a surprising force.<p>

He could hear the screams for help from the other boys, but he stayed silent. Slowly, the cries became silent as the hours passed with no sign of anyone coming to help.

Suddenly, a door was thrown open, and with it light reached through and Zevran could tell that they were starting the trails, whatever they were.

"Time to get up, we need some new blood for the lessons and I see five meat bags ready for picking." It was Alec that came for them. He looked through the room, searching for their 'new blood' when his eyes came across Zevran's. He smiled, that same cruel smile, and motioned for the two others behind him to grab him.

He was taken into a room, covered in dried blood, with other boys a couple years older than him, staring. Ever slowly, the other boys smiled knowing that Zevran was the next sacrifice for them.

"Here is a new classmate that you can play with." Alec said gesturing to me. "Tell him what to do and if he refuses, kill him."

Zevran stared at him for a moment before Alec turned to leave him to face a room for of boys that all held swords and daggers, staring at him like he was their new plaything.

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><p>comments? want to read more? is this trash that should be burned and never read again? Please tell me any opinion you have on it. All are appreciated.<p>

Thank you!


	2. Harsh lessons

Author's note: okay I want to show more of how an assassin is supposed to act, so the scenes are a little harsher and he takes to the training but refuses to kill someone(find out by reading it)

i'll get more into detail later, but I have exams and tests so i don't think I'll come back to this for at least two weeks.

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><p>The others stared at him, but he saw one girl that seemed unfazed by him, almost... like ignorance. Before he could get up, one of the boys came at his throat with the dagger he had in his hands and placed it against his vocal chords.<p>

"You think you can last here with us?" he taunted. This boy had short black hair and green eyes that gleamed like the start of a forest fire. "Well?"

"I don't want to be here, but I want to live so I will go through what I must." he answered simply. The dagger was slightly increasing it's blade until a slight red line fell from under it.

"That's not the correct answer."

"That's enough Cain! He just got here and he know's nothing!" the girl spoke and her voice was rough and Zevran could tell that she must have had about the same treatment because he saw a slightly raised line horizontally on her throat, now that she was turned towards him.

"Beggars can't be choosers." Cain said. "If you want me to go easier on him, do you want his punishments instead?" The girl glared at him, but stayed silent. Taking that silence as her answer, Cain turned back to Zevran and asked, "Do you want to live?"

"I believe I have answered that question already Cain." Cain looked at him with pure hatred, but he slowly backed the knife away from his throat.

"Rinna," the girl snapped her head at the mention of her name. "You are in charge of his lessons for now. Make sure to remember that we are watching and if he is not ready by the end of the month, both of you will die." Cain crept towards her and placed the slightly bloody dagger in her hand and she grimaced.

Cain and the other boys left the room, leaving Zevran and Rinna in the silence. After taking a closer look, Zevran saw that her hair was tied in a bun on her head and she wore clothing that was shredded to pieces with scars poking out from every rip, every single one. Her golden hair was perfectly straight and there was not a stray hair coming from her hair tie, but in keeping her hair up, it showed three long and skinny scars reaching from under her collarbone to the tip of her jaw, crossing over the horizontal scar in the middle of her neck. She slowly walked towards him, and he noticed how she was slightly limping. She grabbed his face and looked into his eyes. The color of hers were a cold silver that seemed closer to frozen metal, and her eyes showed no emotion at all.

"What is you name, elf?"

"Zevran." She pulled his face down and pushed him onto the floor.

"Never give personal information. That is the first lesson." she stepped on his face and crept down to whisper in his ear "never forget it."

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><p>After the first week of learning how to handle a dagger, Zevran found he was a natural at wielding it, but Rinna stayed emotionless and tortured him even if he won at one of the duels because he wasn't strong enough to resist. He had bruises all along his face and down his ribcage, but he knew that she had to be harsh.<p>

"You need to never let your guard down, and never ever show any weakness." when she said this, he noticed a little anger in her eyes. The only emotion she showed in days. "If a weakness is found, you will find yourself dead quicker than you can blink." She threw one of her daggers and Zevran dodged, but just barely and it nicked his shoulder blade as it passed.

"What is to happen at the end of the month?" he asked.

She stared at him, as if him speaking was the greatest insult to her, and she drew the other dagger she had against his neck. "You are not to speak unless you are addressed to."

Zevran chuckled and said, "every time a word comes out of your mouth I have permission to speak. Nothing is rhetorical and you may be teaching me, but I will be stronger than you soon." her glared became harsher and the dagger started to shake, but just barely. "You know this, and I know this. Why not just get back to the lesson before anything... unnecessary happens."

"Your threats are getting better, but still need some work."

"Says the one who started shaking as I said it." Rinna backed away, but she came back after grabbing a sword in both hands. Her look was like an untamed animal, unfed and dangerously close to ripping off anyone's head within range.

"If you want to get back to the lesson so quickly, how about I make it harder." She swung the swords in perfect harmony and both landed in his shoulders because he didn't react quick enough.

He let out a small cry, muffled by his lips and sank to the floor. His weapons clanked loudly on the ground and she walked over until she was in front of his face and, without mercy, kicked his face until he felt his nose crack under the pressure.

"Do you need a break?" she sneered and grabbed the front of his armor and lifted him to his feet. Zevran could't talk, but he refused to let her see the pain he was in. He saw something flash in her eyes and then, she backed off and left the room. He stood there stunned by what had just happened.

A few minutes later she walked in with another boy and he placed his hands on his broken and battered face. Zevran flinched, but that only made the boy tighten the hold on his face. He felt something from his hands, but what he was amazed by was the fact he could feel his nose repairing itself and his bruises disappearing. The boy then put his hand on his shoulders and healed them as well.

"He is a healing mage that is here to heal any injuries in training," she said. After everything was back to normal, the boy left without saying another word and he was left with her again.

He stared at her warily, but she only went back to pick up her swords. "Does the lesson continue as normal then?" he asked.

Her feral smile was his response, and he knew that she was not going to go easy anymore.

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><p>When it came to the end of the month, Zevran had cuts all across his back, but he knew how to wield daggers and one sword(just barely). He woke up on the floor by Rinna picking him up again, but this time she dragged him out the door before he could get out of her grip.<p>

"Where are we going?" he asked.

She didn't turn to look at him, but she responded "it's time for your test."

The walked silently to another room where he found seats lined across the sides and the middle had white lines painted in a square. She told him to wait in the middle of the room and she went to sit on the seats. The next moment he found Cain standing in front of him.

"Now, for your test I was picked to be your opponent." Cain's smile was one of pure happiness while his green eyes flashed on the edge of insanity.

"What must I do then?"

He stared at Rinna for a moment before looking back at him. "No rules. A fight to the death. The last one standing is victorious." Cain lunged at him the second the last syllable was out of his mouth.

Zevran dodged the first attack and pulled his daggers out to defend against the his second blow. The clank resounded through the hall and others came to watch the fight. Cain was strong, but he wasn't fast where Zevran had the advantage of speed.

Zevran was able to get past his guard and Cain fell with a bleeding laceration across his chest up to just past his lips on his right cheek. Zevran stepped on both his hands and made sure he couldn't move before he punched him in the face.

Seeing that he was knocked unconscious, he stood back up and walked away, but the others watching the fight turned angry as he didn't kill him.

"Where are you going, elf?" It was Alec that he ran into. "Kill him, you know he will kill you if you don't."

Zevran shook his head. "He is unable to continue fighting. There is nothing left for him." Alec was not pleased with that answer.

"You have the potential, but you have no backbone." He went up to Cain and grabbed his head, and slowly turned his neck until everyone could hear the sickening crack of a broken neck and Cain's head lolled on the floor, as he lay dead.

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><p>please comment on this! I really want to write a better story for everyone to read, but feedback is need. Please tell me what you think and don't hold back!<p> 


	3. Missions and memories

**Author note: okay this is little tidbits of what goes on, and part of it from conversations he gives in the game later. I skipped years in-between and will get back to them in a later chapters, as memories.**  
><strong>Okay, without further adieu, the new chapter! <strong>

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><p>He stood there, unable to move from the sight he has witnessed. Cain was now dead. Zevran stared at Alec yet said nothing. Blood was creeping into the floor and the others stared between him and Alec.<p>

"Cain was one of the better fighters, no? Why kill such a promising recruit when they have not grown all the way?" Zevran asked.

Alec sneered. "Rules are to be followed and if broken there will be consequences. Cain lost the match and as the punishment, his life is forfeit. You are the winner, for now." Alec came up to him and grabbed him by the top of his armor. "Do not forget this act of kindness. There are very little exceptions for newcomers and yours has been used up." Zevran was now held in the air and forced to look into Alec's dead eyes.

"He has shown potential as you have said, Alec." Rinna stated. "From that, he has the right to start his actual training now."

Alec dropped Zevran down, and he fell on his right ankle trying to gain his balance. "That is true. He may be one of us, though barely, but he needs to learn what is allowed and what is not." Alec turned to Rinna. "You have taught him well enough to pass, and for that you are now promoted." Rinna's smile was slight, but Zevran could tell that she was pleased with her efforts.

"What is to be the fate of the elf then?" Rinna questioned.

"He will be under my reign for now." He turned to Zevran and his smile was pure cruelty wrapped into a sadistic smirk. "He needs to learn the way an assassin lives."

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><p>Years went by as he was trained by the strongest members of the Antivan Crows and honed his skills. He thought of Rinna, and how he hadn't seen her since Alec promoted her. He missed her more than he would admit, even to himself. Every strike that he made protecting himself, he remembered her feral smile and aggression to teach him, but he thought more of her kindness when she went for a healer after she went too far.<p>

Alec trained him hard, and taught him well. Zevran could disarm traps quicker than the others, and he could detect enemies from farther ranges. His potential was growing rapidly and even the senior members of the guild could not ignore him for long. They gave him his first mission, to test him in real situations, and to see his overconfidence shattered even if they themselves would not admit it out loud.

...

Zevran found himself watching the Rivaini merchant as he went inside his home. The man was a delicious chocolate brown and his hair was a dark brown. He wore one golden earring in his left ear that shimmered in the sunlight. He waited until there was no one in sight and he let himself into that man's house. Zevran knew the layout like the back of his hand, and he also knew where to look for him.

He went through the dark hallway and turned into the man's bedroom to find him underneath his sheets. Zevran pulled out his daggers and crept up to the man's bed, and he didn't stir. He watched the slight movement of the earring as it shined from the gleam of his dagger before he reached over to slit his throat. The man woke up the moment before his neck was slit, to late to prevent it, but it didn't matter to Zevran at that moment. He trained within the guild for years and his first mission was a complete success. He looked at the lifeless body but he saw only his first accomplishment. The blood stained the blankets and the last look on his face was of surprise and in the last minute struggle some of the covers uncovered his naked skin.

Zevran reached out and grabbed the jeweled, golden earring from his ear and held onto it, as a moment for his first successful mission. He turned to leave the house while he slid the earring into his own ear.

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><p>"Now stay still," Alec's voice was ragged as he leaned over Zevran. His skin burned by each touch that Alec made, but he couldn't move because of the restraints.<p>

"Not like I have a choice in this matter," Zevran chuckled. Alec grabbed his arm and pulled Zevran towards him, against the restraints causing a sharp pain to shoot through Zevran's arms. He knew all too well of Alec's mood changes and often he would take it out on Zevran himself, not that he minded the attention at some points, but he preferred women over men.

"You have been here for years but you are still the same insipid whelp as when you arrived."

"Isn't that what you like about me? You keep me at your side for your own amusement."

Alec trailed his fingers across the side of Zevran's face. "The tattoos I arranged for you fit you perfectly. A simple-minded fool under command of another." Zevran tried to keep still under his icy fingers.

Alec settled on Zevran's hips and kissed him, drawing out pleasure that Zevran didn't want. His tongue snaked past Zevran's lips and swirled with precision that Zevran could't help but moan at and Alec's hips rolled against his in a perfect rhythm. Alec slid his hands lower until he cupped Zevran's butt, pushing him harder against himself. The restraints melded into Zevran's skin as he tried to move, causing blood to drip slowly down the underside of his arms and Alec licked him clean.

"Must you always restrain me?" Zevran exhaled between Alec's licks.

He looked him in the eyes before responding, "Assassins know when to strike and this," he stared to say before sliding his hand upon Zevran's private area, "is just another lesson." Zevran moaned in pleasure as Alec rubbed his shaft slowly.

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><p>"Your next assignment is to go and kill a young mage that has been a little bit too vocal in her desires." Alec stated and handed him a piece of paper. "Here is her looks and some information that you need to complete the mission."<p>

Zevran took the paper and looked closely at the young woman drawn on the sheet of paper. It was not in color, but the drawing did show her features as nobility with high cheek bones and a straight nose with an everlasting frown etched into her smile. He turned the paper over and found notes written about her. "She is trying to escape to the providences I see."

"You are to catch her before there is more trouble."

"Ah, this I can handle," Zevran chuckled.

"Be ready to leave in the morning and be back within two weeks, otherwise you will be punished," Alec warned.

"Now, may this punishment be from you?"

Alec slit his eyes, knowing what Zevran implied with that statement. "This is one that you must finish yourself. Do not fail."

Zevran turned to leave the room when he caught sight of a flash of golden hair, and thought of Rinna. Hurrying his pace he found the hallway to be empty, and his heart fell just as his hopes did. _You haven't seen Rinna for years, why would she be here now_, he thought to himself. He turned around to head to his room when he truly saw her, in all her glory.

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><p><strong>okay, it took a little bit to actually get this to sound the way I wanted it to, and I'm not 100% pleased but I do like how it turned out. Please comment when you get the chance!<strong>


	4. Rinna

Zevran stared into her eyes, those liquid sliver eyes that haunted his thoughts ever since she left. Her hair streamed across her shoulders in her white-blonde color and the scars across her neck were less noticeable now. Along the left side of her face she had tantalizing tattoos, curving along her cheekbones and just barely kissing the tip of her eyelid. They were blood red and it seemed out of place on her face, but in a strange way it fit her. Her skin was darker than he remembered, like she was in the sun for too long, and the years helped define her more womanly features. She now possessed a magnificent bosom and her curves to her hips just begged him to slide his hands along her sides.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your lovely presence for, Rinna." She stared at him, but in the depths of her eyes he saw through her emotionless facade, and he knew she was sad. Her face held no sign of thought, or of emotion, but from his years learning to see through others he saw her true feelings, but just barely.

"I have come to see you." She stared at the floor as she whispered, "After all these years, I had to see your face."

He stood there, as if paralyzed, and heard her voice echo through him. She turned her face back up to meet his, and he saw nothing yet again. She was back to her emotionless self, with her eyes as cold as the steel he carried. It was almost as if she could tell that he saw the emotion so she shut herself off. Zevran's heart felt a little heavier just thinking of that, and he wished to see her smile, a true smile so that he could as well. He had dreamed of seeing her again, he knew he should not have, but Rinna wouldn't escape his thoughts. Was he just imagining her voice and the meaning behind them?

"I came to see how you have been," she stated. "I can assume by the tattoos you have that you are now a true member of the Antivan Crows. How long have you been a true member?"

-Memory-

_He entered a dark room, expecting them to torture him. Opening the door, he strode in with as much confidence as he could muster. He had been waiting for this day, longing for the trial to become a true member to find her. Three sets of eyes lock to him, and their smiles bring happiness to Zevran._

"_There is no backing out after this, you know," one told him._

_Zevran just laughed at them. This was his day to prove his strength to everyone, and he wouldn't give it up for anyone, and so he could see her again. "There is nothing to regret when I come of my free will."_

_"Look at that smile. Don't worry, little one. We will wipe it away soon. You will cry for us in less than an hour." One proclaimed to him._

_"Mmmm, that sounds so promising. Please, by all means." Zevran smiled at them and went to the rack they had set up. He sat back and they tied him up and slowly, inch by inch, tightened the hold until his muscles were straining to hold onto his bone. His arms dislocated and he felt like he was on fire, but Zevran did not give them any pleasure. He kept his smile on his face, and never screamed for mercy, even though he felt like he wouldn't be able to use any of his limbs anymore._

_Truthfully, Zevran couldn't tell how long he lay there, with his limbs seeming so far, but he still head his smile thinking of Rinna. "Still smiling, are you? Maybe we should put more weight behind our words."_

_The weights attached to his ankles and his wrists were increased and Zevran's smile stayed where it was. "Enjoying yourself? Good. Me and my friends here are going for a lunch. Don't go anywhere, while we're away, all right? Have fun, but not too much." One of them spit in Zevran's face as they left._

_How long did he hang there? Minutes? Hours? Days? A whole eternity, it seemed. Time was suspended as he tried to focus on something other than the pain burning through his nerves. Even breathing was painful as his ribcage groaned against his efforts. It would be foolish to assume that they really left the chamber or, if they did, that there was no one else, watching, waiting for the slightest sign of weakness. He stayed strong and didn't give in to their methods even as the ropes cut his skin and his blood slowly dripped down, like a melody to his ears._

_He heard them approach the moment his smile fell from his face, and that was when he knew they thought they had him beat. _

_"Ow, poor darling. Are you okay? Does it hurt? Do you want me to stop it? All you have to do is show me tears in those lovely eyes and show your true face and beg for mercy. I can never resist that." Zevran heard someone's voice to his side, as if he purred to get what he wanted._

_"Very true. Come, you don't have to suffer like this. We will stop, you will be healed, and then you can show us your gratitude, no? Outside this chamber, we are really nice to our pets. We would all love to see what you can offer us."_

_"Aaaah… such… lovely… offer… I…I'd hate to… but…I refuse…" Zevran listly breathed listlessly, still thinking of her face. Rinna was one of his constant thoughts, to see her or hear her voice. He smiled at them again._

_They stared at him, but chuckled to themselves. "We must not be doing enough. What do you think? Should we switch to another bed, or a different alternative?"_

_-end-_

"I have been one for long enough. If you truly wish to know, there are ways to convince me." Zevran teased.

"I see you are more open for different thoughts. No doubt the influence of Alec." "There are many ways that can be used to understand people, why not the more intimate ones. Those are the ones I tend to prefer," Zevran chuckled.

"Zevran," she said and his heart sped up hearing his name from her beautiful lips.

"Is there something that you desire?" he purred.

"I am here and will be with your unit as of now. The elders wanted to have someone watch over you, in case you slip up."

"Ah, those enchanting elders always know how to make life interesting."

"I heard that you are sent for another mission, for tomorrow." She stood up, patted down her thighs, and walked off. "I shall leave you to get ready."

Zevran stood there, wanting to chase after her but he knew better than to follow with that wish. Instead, he only allowed himself to see her walk away from him. He knew that he could find other times to talk with her, and she was there for him. Zevran waited until she was out of sight before he started to pack the things he needed for his mission.

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><p><strong>I know, a little short, but I wanted to focus more on Zevran's feeling for Rinna(which he admits little of) and more on how he became a Crow and his reasons for continuing the training instead of escaping. Another thing I want to say is how I think I'm going to do Zevran's character. I want to do his thoughts as more serious and his words more like the Zev we expect. I think it's a more complicated approach, but worth it.<strong>

** The next one is going to be his mission, so look forward to it!**


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